The South-South Youth Assembly (SSYA) has said that the recent media attacks on the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio by a faceless group in Kaduna named “Northern Emancipation Network” was the handiwork of political jobbers who did not wish President Goodluck Jonathan well.
In a statement released in Port-Harcourt and signed by the President, Comrade Ben Jaja and Secretary, Mr Joseph Tenelaibe, the group strongly condemned a story planted in The Punch newspaper of Wednesday, August 7, 2013, titled “Beware of Akpabio, youths tell Jonathan” and said it was curious that only the reporter of The Punch newspaper covered the so-called “briefing in Kaduna.”
According to SSYA, the so-called Northern Emancipation Network represents an assemblage of persons who are rattled by chief Akpabio’s strong message of political equity and are therefore bent on causing a rift between him and President Goodluck Jonathan through sponsored media attacks.
“We condemn in very strong terms this sponsored attacks on Governor Akpabio, who has emerged as the face of good governance in Nigeria through the provision of unprecedented infrastructural facilities in Akwa Ibom State.
“The SSYA is not surprised that this faceless group which we understand is being sponsored by political opponents of President Jonathan, is not comfortable with the role of Governor Akpabio in galvanizing support for President Jonathan and singing the song of one Nigeria with political equity and have resorted to sponsored attacks to create a rift and leave the President vulnerable to their political antics.
“But let it be known that Mr. President knows who his political allies are. He also knows his political opponents. He does not need this unsolicited and mischievous political advice from a faceless group who do not mean well for Nigeria,” the group stated.
The SSYA advised the Akwa Ibom State Governor not to be deterred by the antics of political jobbers but to remain focused in the arduous task of strengthening their party, the PDP, and said recent developments in the polity has made the work of Chief Akpabio as the Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum more imperative.